


a soldiers exposure

by sadinsomniac



Series: dream smp oneshots [8]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Child Abandonment, Child Soldiers, Clay | Dream & Technoblade Friendship (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Platonic Relationships, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29320386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadinsomniac/pseuds/sadinsomniac
Summary: In the duel with Technoblade, Dreams mask is broken.How will his friends react to the accidental face reveal?
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: dream smp oneshots [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091387
Comments: 3
Kudos: 419





	a soldiers exposure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rinesa_1212](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinesa_1212/gifts).



> Requested by Rinesa_1212
> 
> TW; child soldiers, panic attack, burn scars, mild self harm (accidental)

The crowds were roaring as the duo flung themselves at each other, every movement precise as they countered one another, moving with the fluidity of well-seasoned predators. A feral smile painted Dreams face as he ducked and dodged Technos harsh swings, the pinkette spinning with his braid flowing elegantly behind him as the diamond sword slashed at Dream, the blonde only cackling as he moved with inhuman speed, countering with his axe or leaping back to avoid the harsh hits.

The crowd roared as the fight continued, the two beasts pitted against one another. The score of 4-4 left everyone on edge including the participants, everyone awaiting to see who would come out victorious. Technoblade let out a feral snarl as Dreams axe smashed into his own sword, the masked man pulling away only to reappear behind Techno, his speed unmatched as the blood god was forced onto the defence, grunts and growls escaping his throat as Dream continued his blows viciously, each swing too fast for the human eye to even focus on.

Excitement built heavily in Dreams gut as he ploughed into Technoblade, relishing the cuts which began to mar the man as he refused to let up, the usually pristine god now coated in small wounds easing blood. 

“Come on Dream!!”

“Get him Techno!!”

“Gut himmmmm!!!”

The crowds roared from the sidelines, Dream lunged, axe swinging heavily almost delivering the final blow if Techno hadn’t pulled out his shield in the next second, the wood splintering under the force of the diamond blade.  _Fuck!_ Dream tried to pull away, only for Techno to release the shield, forcing Dream to stumble back with the momentum. Axe still lodged into the shield, Dream could hardly react, only managing to spin around, eyes wide behind his mask as Techno had leapt around to lunge at him from behind. In a desperate attempt to save himself, Dream abandoned his weapon, trying to lean out of the way of the glimmering sword and feral grin. As his face tipped backwards whilst his body fell back, a harsh crack echoed through the arena.

Cold air and harsh lighting poured onto Dreams face, the previous excitement quickly turning to horror as he fell backwards, mask split neatly in two as blood dripped from his face, green eyes wide as hit the ground of his ass, eyes meeting Technos shocked ones.

Silence sat heavily in the air, everyone awaiting Dreams reaction. It felt like he was frozen. Panic overwhelming every one of his senses.

_ getmeoutgetmeoutgetmeoutstoplookingstoplookin g **STOPLOOKING** _

Dream whipped around, ignoring the blood dripping down his face as he sprinted out of the arena, his footsteps filling the oppressive silence. 

The previously masked man felt panic overwhelming his senses, his face feeling as though it were burning from the oppressive stared that had bore into his it. Swinging open the door to his room he felt his knees weaken as he hit the ground, bandages hands being brought up to grip his face as his breaths stuttering in his no longer working lungs.

His fingers dragged underneath his eyes, feeling the thick burn scar which marred half of his face, the skin scaly yet smooth and uneven as he tried to process what was happening, only to feel himself choke on a sob as the panic confined to consume his mind. He wanted to scream. Cry. Tear his skin out as he still felt the audiences eyes boring into his damaged face. They’d think he was  _weak_.  He didn’t have the scars of a warrior but the scars of a  _victim_.  A weak child who’d been caught in the crossfire too young and was permanently disfigured from it. 

His lungs stuttered as he choked on nothing, feeling the memories of his past overwhelm his mind. Memories of being a child forced into a war. Memories of having his face blown up as he’d attempted to deconstruct a bomb at the age of 13. Memories of being abandon in the middle of a battlefield as he was deemed useless, thick third degree burns marring half of his face with shrapnel diggging into his organs and muscles, some pieces going as far as to lodge themselves in his lips and a particularly harsh one engraving itself into his eye, leaving him half-blind. The once repressed memories came back in masses, leaving the usually confident warrior sobbing on the floor whilst digging blunt nails into his fucked up face. 

The overwhelming panic which consumed his mind left him unaware of the cautious footsteps and the creaking of his door as another person entered his designated room. Dream choked and sobbed, his head hazy as oxygen failed to get to his brain, only adding to the overwhelming emotions flooding his half-functioning mind. 

“Dream? Can you hear me? Dream?” a low monotone voice was drowned out by his own gasping and retching as he cried to the point of violently dry heaving.

He only became aware once a careful hand reached out to touch his shoulder, “Dream?”

The man in question lunged away from the touch, the sobbing replaced with whimpers as he scrambled backwards until he hit the wall, eyes glassy and unseeing as he stared at who he recognised to be Technoblade.

_ Oh my go he’s gonna think i’m weak. he’s gonna leave, he’s gonna kill me, he’s gonna mock me he— _

“Dream can you hear me? Nod if you can.” 

The usually monotone smug voice was replaced with a softer more cautious tone, adding confusion to the mix of emotions plaguing Dreams mind but he nodded anyway.  _ He was too weak to deny the mans questions anyway. _

“Okay okay.... Can i touch you? Nod again if yes, shake your head if no.” Dream felt his stuttering breaths hitch again, he didn’t know what was happening. He just wanted it all to **stop**.

The blonde nodded his head before pressing his nails deeper into the scar tissue, wincing at the harsh sting as blood beaded up around his nails only for his hands to be gently pulled away, larger more calloused ones massaging his palms in soft circular motions whilst holding them to the olders chest, allowing Dream to feel his steady heart beat beneath his finger tips along with the steady rise and fall of his chest, so different to the uneven heaving and rapid heartbeat of his own.

“Dream it’s okay your safe. feel how steady my heart beat is? It’s because we’re safe yeah? So I need you to try and copy that ok, just follow my breathing.”

He retched again as he choked on air, his head fuzzy as he tried to suck oxygen into his lungs, focussing on Technos deep breaths which he could feel beneath his finger tips. His breath stuttered unevenly at the attempted to follow, but the soft praise pushed him forward to try and copy. He continued to choke and sob until he drained himself of energy, physically unable to heave in breaths, his body forcing the panic attack to stop out of necessity as his senses came back to him.

His face stings, small beads of liquid dripping down his scarred skin making him involuntarily shiver along with the thick open gash gash from the sword which burned along the bridge of his nose. The buzzing faded away until he could only hear his own heavy breathing, feeling his chest move with each inhale. A soft humming noise alerted him to the presence of another. His emerald eyes dragged up to Technoblades crimson ones, vision fuzzy from the tears which had previously been cascading down his face. Technos thumbs were still rubbing circles into Dreams hands, each movement as precise and grounding as the other, helping push the panic from his mind.

“You with me Dream?” the olders voice was careful, delicate as though he could break at any moment and Dream  hated it.

“Stop pitying me,” he rasped out, voice slightly croaky as he half-heartedly glared daggers at the other, hating how weak he must look with tear tracks and a white hazy eye staring, no longer covered by the comfort of the porcelain white mask with a childish smily painting the front.

The pinkette frowned at his words, head cocking to the side, “i’m not pitying you.”

“Then stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like i’m weak,” Dream spat the word ‘weak’ as though it were poison, his face twisting on distaste of the mere concept of it.

He watched as Technos brows scrunched slightly, “you’re not weak for being vulnerable. I just wanted to see if you were okay I also brought your mask, sorry for breaking it I didn’t know you’d panic like that...”

If Dream had the energy he’d snort at Technos awkward apology, as for all the man seemed the overly confident warrior, he never knew what to do in social situations. However Dream wasn’t even sure if he could stand up. His lungs felt like they couldnt inhale properly, leaving his muscles trembling as he remained slumped on the ground, weaknesses shown directly to his rival who could now use it to his advantage.

“It’s whatever the fights over now anyway. You win. Congrats.” He knew his voice was cold and bitter, but it was better than dealing with the panic still brimming below the surface.

“Dream wha—“ the pinkettes words were cut off by a harsh knocking at the door, making the blonde tense, hands flying back up to his face,

“Dream?”

“Dream are you okay? Are you in here?”

George and Sapnaps voices chimed loudly through the wood, concern heavy in their voices making guilt curl in Dreams gut as he made himself smaller, self-deprecating thoughts plaguing his mind.

_ Fuck I lost they’re gonna be so disappointed in me I can’t even handle my own face what’s wrong with me i’m absolutely useless— _

Techno swung open the door, his tall, broad form hiding George and Sapnap from his view, “he’s here,” the monotone man spoke, stepping to the side to allow the duo in, their eyes boring into Dreams crumpled form on the ground, scarred hands trying to cover his face as his form trembled minutely.

Instantly he felt warm hands gently trying to pry his own off his face, “Dream. Dream please look at us?”

Slowly the blonde allowed his fingers to be pried away again, ignoring the blood smeared on his face his singular green eye looked up. Sapnap cradled his hands whilst George looked at him still stood up, brown eyes scanning over Dreams face making him wanna curl into himself more.

“You okay?” Dream snapped his eyes back to Sapnap, trying to replace his panic with anger as a weak defence mechanism,

“do I look like it?”

The other simply sighed, bringing a hand to Dreams face, making him flinch back before the warm finger tips pressed gently over the scar, dragging over the scaly skin before pausing at the small cuts where Dream had dug in his nails.

Wordlessly the younger grabbed some alcohol from his belt, rubbing it over the small cuts along with the slash from the sword and making the man hiss but remain still as he worked, distracting Dream from the soft thud from the door as Techno left to allow the trio some privacy.

“If it’s any consolation, I think it looks badass.”

The blonde simply snorted, feeling himself relax at the presence of his best friends, the exhaustion from the fight and the panic attack weighing him down. George took over from Sapnap, pulling out gauze to place over the injuries as his cold hands contrasted the youngers, so familiar that Dreams eyes threatened to slip shut.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

The scarred man simply shook his head, watching George’s hands pull away from his face.

Sapnap grabbed the half broken mask before hopping to his feet, ignoring the duo still sat on the floor watching him,

“Pandas what are you doing?”

The noirette simply ignored them, pulling out tape to half-heartedly attaching the mask back together. Sure it wouldn’t hold up for another fighting round but it would atleast keep Dreams face covered until they could get back home.

Despite the shoddy job, Dream couldn’t help the overwhelming thankfulness for his friends, “I— seriously thank you,” Dream murmured, voice uncharacteristically soft whilst the other two grinned at him,

“let’s go home already I’m tired,” George snapped, stumbling to his feet and weakly attempting to pull up Dream, pouting when the two laughed at him for not being able to pull the larger man.

Slipping on the shattered mask, Dream felt a relieved smile paint his face. Sure this wasn’t exactly how he expected the day to go, but a weird weight felt as though it had been lifted from his chest, of course there were still secrets between the trio but the new sense of kinship at the accidental face reveal left the blonde feeling lighter in his slightly shaky steps.

“Yeah yeah of course you’re tired George all you ever do is sleep.”

“Actually I do more than you ever do—“

Dream chuckled as the two argued, a warm smile painting his face as the panic finally drained from his chest. No matter what, atleast he had his family there, unwavering no matter what.

**Author's Note:**

> i hate how this is written sorry if it’s not my best ;-;
> 
> this is also my first attempt at doing fight scenes even if it’s short soooo


End file.
